• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.93-101
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• 2008

The major cell wall components of bacteria are lipopolysaccharide, peptidoglycan, and teichoic acid. These molecules are known to trigger strong innate immune responses in the host. The molecular mechanisms by which the host recognizes the peptidoglycan of Gram-positive bacteria and amplifies this peptidoglycan recognition signals to mount an immune response remain largely unclear. Recent, elegant genetic and biochemical studies are revealing details of the molecular recognition mechanism and the signalling pathways triggered by bacterial peptidoglycan. Here we review recent progress in elucidating the molecular details of peptidoglycan recognition and its signalling pathways in insects. We also attempt to evaluate the importance of this issue for understanding innate immunity.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.49-52
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• 2009

Perception of sweet compounds is important for animals to detect external carbohydrate source of calories and plays a crucial role in feeding behavior of animals. Recent progress in molecular genetic studies provides evidence for a candidate receptor (heterodimers with taste receptor type 1 member 2 and 3: T1R2/T1R3), and major downstream transduction molecules required for sweet taste signaling. Several studies demonstrated that the sweet taste signal can be modulated by a satiety hormone, leptin, through its receptors expressed in a subset of sweet-sensitive taste cells. Increase of internal energy storage in the adipose tissue leads to increase in the plasma leptin level which can reduce activities of sweet-sensitive cells. In human, thus, diurnal variation of plasma leptin level parallels variation of taste recognition thresholds for sweet compounds. This leptin modulation of sweet taste sensitivity may influence individuals' preference, ingestive behavior, and absorption of nutrients, thereby plays important roles in regulation of energy homeostasis.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.93-112
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• 2008

Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are important sources for plant secondary metabolites, which are important for human healthcare. Improvement of the yield and quality of these natural plant products through conventional breeding is still a challenge. However, recent advances in plant genomics research has generated knowledge leading to a better understanding of the complex genetics and biochemistry involved in biosynthesis of these plant secondary metabolites. This genomics research also concerned identification and isolation of genes involved in different steps of a number of metabolic pathways. Progress has also been made in the development of functional genomics resources (EST databases and micro-arrays) in several medicinal plant species, which offer new opportunities for improvement of genotypes using perfect markers or genetic transformation. This review article presents an overview of the recent developments and future possibilities in genetics and genomics of MAP species including use of transgenic approach for their improvement.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.8
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• pp.569-574
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• 2014

As a scaffold, SLX4/FANCP interacts with multiple proteins involved in genome integrity. Although not having recognizable catalytic domains, SLX4 participates in diverse genome maintenance pathways by delivering nucleases where they are needed, and promoting their cooperative execution to prevent genomic instabilities. Physiological importance of SLX4 is emphasized by the identification of causative mutations of SLX4 genes in patients diagnosed with Fanconi anemia (FA), a rare recessive genetic disorder characterized by genomic instability and predisposition to cancers. Recent progress in understanding functional roles of SLX4 has greatly expanded our knowledge in the repair of DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs), Holliday junction (HJ) resolution, telomere homeostasis and regulation of DNA damage response induced by replication stress. Here, these diverse functions of SLX4 are reviewed in detail.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Food Hygiene and Safety Conference
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• 1994.06a
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• pp.17-22
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• 1994

Food additives are minor components which are used to enhance nutritive or sensory values, and to improve shelf life of foods. In foods, natural additives are preferred over artificial or synthetic materials because of concern on food safety. Many biotechnological techniques have been applied to the production of food additives since the biotechnology has been utilized to prodyce many flavor components such as glutamate, 5'-nucleotides, esters, 2,3-bytadione, pyrazines, terpenes, and lactones. Natural flavors, fragrances, sweetners, and colorants can be produced by plant cell culture. Many lactic acid bacteria produce bacteriocins such as nisin or diplococcin. These bacteriocins are used as safe preservatives in foods and many researches on the improvenment of bacteriocin productivity by genetic engineering are in progress.

• Electronics and Telecommunications Trends
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.1-16
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• 2020

"Artificial Intelligence+" is a key strategic direction that has garnered the attention of several global medical device manufacturers and internet companies. Large hospitals are actively involved in different types of medical AI research and cooperation projects. Medical AI is expected to create numerous opportunities and advancements in areas such as medical imaging, computer aided diagnostics and clinical decision support, new drug development, personal healthcare, pathology analysis, and genetic disease prediction. On the contrary, some studies on the limitations and problems in current conditions such as lack of clinical validation, difficulty in performance comparison, lack of interoperability, adversarial attacks, and computational manipulations are being published. Overall, the medical AI field is in a paradigm shift. Regarding international standardization, the work on the top 10 standardization issues is witnessing rapid progress and the competition for standard development has become fierce.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.161-170
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• 1993

Prospects are briefly reviewed for further advances in current poultry industry technology in the foreseeable future. It is concluded that in the most advanced industries progress should continue at a similar rate to the recent past in conventional genetics and breeding, nutrition and disease control. Significant benefits will also follow in the short-term from the application of molecular biotechnology to disease diagnosis and vaccine production. Technical advances now make it possible to produce transgenic chickens at acceptable success rates but applications of this technology to poultry breeding will not become significant till we have sufficient knowledge of the poultry genome, and especially the genes involved in production performance. For the undeveloped and less advanced industries it is argued that the level of advanced technologies to be implemented in those countries should be decided largely on market forces, informed by objective assessment of the diverse options available. The need for urgent international action on conservation of poultry genetic resources is also stressed.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.155-165
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• 2004

In Korean Peninsula including neighboring islands and Japanese Islands identical firefly species or the species belonging to same genera occur together in both territories. These geographic firefly species, nonetheless, have never been subject to taxonomic consideration together until recently, lacking clear species status and phylogenetic relationships. A recent serial study of these fireflies using luciferase gene and/or portions of mitochondrial DNA sequences provided some insight into these populations in terms of validity of species name, phylogenetic relationships, and speciation event. In this article, thus, we have reviewed the recent progress on phylogenetic and/or population genetic aspects of these species, i.e., Hotaria-group fireflies, Luciola lateralis, and Pyrocoelia rufa to better understand the firefly species in these regions.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.53-62
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• 2003

After the development of two major techniques - SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) and PET (Positron Emission Tomography) to image the human subjects in a three-dimensional direction in the 1980s, many radiotracers have been used for functional neuroimaging. Still it would be very important study to develop selective radiotracers for functional neuroimaging. New radiotracers will help to expand the knowledge of neurotransmitter systems and of the genetic contribution to receptor or transporter availability. Neurotransmitter depletion-restoration studies, the distribution of brain functions and their modulation by neurotransmitter system aid in better understanding and limiting the side effects of drugs used as well as newly developed. In audition, these radiotracers will be thus very useful to gain a better understanding in biochemical and pharmacological interactions in living human. This review mentions the introduction of radioligands for the functional neuroimaging. Although significant progress has been achieved in the development of new PET and SPECT ligands for in vivo imaging of those receptors and transporters, there are continuous needs of new diagnostic radioligands.

• Journal of mucopolysaccharidosis and rare diseases
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.46-49
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• 2016

Achondroplasia is autosomal dominant genetic disease and fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) is currently known to be the only gene that causes achondroplasia. Gain-of function mutation in fibroblast-growth-factor-receptor 3 (FGFR3) causes the disease and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) antagonizes FGFR3 downstream signaling by inhibiting the pathway of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). As FGFR3-related skeletal dysplasias are caused by growth attenuation of the cartilage, chondrocytes appear to be unique in their response to FGFR3 activation. However, the full spectrum of molecular events by which FGFR3 mediates its signaling is just beginning to emerge. This article summaries the mechanisms of FGFR3 function in skeletal dysplasias, the extraordinary cellular manifestations of FGFR3 signaling in chondrocytes, and finally, the progress toward therapy for ACH.